Tale of a Lost Wanderer
by Anithin
Summary: The tale of a nameless wanderer as he carried on, going forward to bring life back to his love. His thoughts, however, kept going back to the turns of events that brought both of them to this point. Chapter 6 is up.
1. Prologue: To the Ancient Land

_Special Thanks to Negative Creep, who has helped me proofread the story and offered invaluable suggestions for corrections._

**Disclaimers: **I do not own Shadow of the Colossus and its characters: Wanderer, Mono, Agro, Emon, Dormin and any of the colossi. The name of the kingdom, Sacreda Sol, the Holy Capital, the idea of Sun God, Wind God, and the Demon God belong to Miyuki Miyabe, the author of the Japanese novel "ICO – the Castle of Mist" as I am inspired to write this fiction in connection to her story of Ico, with SotC as the past events that lead to the story of Ico. Other names and characters presented in this fiction are my original creations.

**Note before Reading: **This fiction will contain spoilers for the whole game, from the beginning until the end, and will be told between Wanderer's progress in the forbidden land and flashbacks of his past with Mono. The past will be dominant at most of the time. However, I have chosen to include the details of colossi fighting in this fiction because I would like to tell the whole story like a novelization, while I took the liberty to express how my interpretation of Wanderer and Mono's relationship would be like. I will try my best to express the story as wholly and vividly as I can.

Thank you for reading, and all comments will be appreciated.

* * *

**A Tale of a Lost Wanderer**

_By Anithin _

**Prologue - To the Ancient Land**

A lone hawk soared through the night sky.

Below him, both to the left and to the right, were sheer cliffs dropping away endlessly into the night. The gaping abyss between the two bluffs was shrouded in a thick mist that left the bottom of the gorge fathomless and unseen. The hawk swooped low near the cliff on the right, where there was a narrow, meandering path. The tip of his pinions almost brushed the shoulder of a rider mounted on a black horse, walking slowly and carefully along the narrow pathway.

The horseman was a young fellow outfitted in dirty traveling clothes. His red hair, which seemed much darker in the nighttime, hung down to the back of his neck, almost touching his shoulders. A blue bandana around his forehead kept the long bangs there from falling down into his eyes. He wore a sand-colored shirt under a black poncho with intricate silver embroidery, which covered his chest and back, and a pair of green pants that came to the top of his knees. His sandals were made of leather straps sparsely woven together to provide dexterity as well as protection.

From the look of his attire he seemed to be a traveler, and also a warrior. Slung over his shoulder was a leather strap that bound to him a quiver of arrows and a large bow. From his belt hung a sword sheath, gently swinging in time to the movements of his horse. In many small scabbards attached along the length of the cinch were daggers used for various tasks.

The man looked up and saw the hawk flying higher in the sky under the pale light of the full moon, shaded by gossamer curtains of swaying clouds. Distant shadows that looked like a pair of gigantic statues loomedbefore him in the distance.

The warrior's horse suddenly whinnied in warning. He turned back to see a gap in the path ahead. Pulling at the reins, he ordered the horse to back off a few steps. Then as he kicked at its side, the horse lunged forward and jumped across the gap.

It landed perfectly on the other side of the drop, a few pebbles tumbling into the abyss at the disturbance its hind hooves caused. The rider straightened the long bundle wrapped in a dark cloth placed on the saddle in front of him, pausing for a moment before his steed continued onward.

His gaze was again fixed on the looming shadows as he recalled words he had heard in the past.

"_Only winged beings are free to roam between our lands and the land beyond."_

And yet here he was heading to that land: the ancient land where no man had set foot in for thousands of years, lying just over the horizon.

Turning his eyes once again to the dark bundle, he released one hand from the reins and caressed it gently.

He had decided.

_All of this…_

…_will be for **her.**_

His lips moved, softly calling a name.

"…Mono."

* * *

… "Mono," a pair of plum-ripe lips moved just slightly, catching his eyes. He could not help but stare at the lips – one of the parts that made up such an angelic face, apart from the rose-colored cheeks that were brushed by her shoulder-long raven hair, a perfectly-shaped nose, and a pair of dark, sparkling eyes like the starlit sky.

Perhaps he stared at her for too long as the sweet voice rang out once again.

"My name is Mono. What's yours?"

His lips moved slightly, almost telling her his name. But then he remembered what his father ordered before he parted ways with the tribe.

"_Heed this. Our names are sacred. Do not tell your old name to anyone until you return to us. The old name is the childish self you must cast aside."_

"I don't have a name." The girl's brows rose in wonder at this answer, and so he added, "At least not _yet_. I'm from Arslan."

"Oh," she nodded, in sudden understanding. "So you are on your coming-of-age journey"

According to the custom of Arslan Tribe, the nomadic horse-tamers of the Great Plains, a boy who was about to reach adulthood had to leave the village and go on a journey alone for one year before he could return. It was only after the journey that he would be able to undergo the coming-of-age and name-giving rituals, which would mark that he was now accepted as a fully**-**grown man.

For him, the time left was eight moons.

"That's right."

"Are you heading to the Savon River?" **s**he asked, turning her face to the east, the direction in which a faint salty smell sometimes came with a strong wind.

"Yes. I'm crossing it to reach the sea."

The girl named Mono smiled dryly as she met his eyes.

"I'm sorry to say you've come at the wrong time."

"And why is that?" asked he.

"At this time of year, the Savon River is flooding," she replied, nodding towards the large black steed beside him. There was a diamond-shaped patch of white hair on its forehead, looking strangely similar to a symbol. "You can't get across, even with him."

"Then how long do I have to wait?"

"About three moons, before the Senna Rain stops and the soil hardens," was her answer. "Knowing this, are you going to change your course?"

He pondered for a moment and then answered firmly.

"I can wait. There are lush forests around this village. I'll probably manage to find a safe place to rest, and some animals I can hunt."

"Why don't you stay in the village instead?" Mono inquired.

"I don't want to bother anyone. I'm not sure it would be good for them to receive an Arslan like me."

He guessed she knew his reason, and his guess was right.

"Are you afraid of the Holy Capital?"

The king of Sacreda Sol, the ruler of this land who resided in the Holy Capital, was currently not pleased with the Arslan Tribe, for they thought of the vast plains as a home they could roam freely, belonging to no-one. This attitude was a cause of some difficulty to the Kingdom's recent plans for annexation of the prairies to their own territory; because of these issues they had branded the Arslan Tribe as 'heathens' for their differing religious beliefs and way of life, trying with all their might whenever possible to push the nomadic villagers off the plains and into the wastelands beyond.  
**  
**The young Arslan rider had seen a dome-shaped roof adorned with the crest of the Sun God, the supreme being whom the people of Sacreda Sol worshipped, at the center of the village. The sight of the gilded structure had convinced the wanderer it might be best not to enter.

"Yes."

"It's all right. People from the Capital hardly come to this faraway village anyway," said Mono, nodding towards the houses clustered around the shrine on the hill before them. "Besides, Lord Emon, the head priest who presides over the shrine, doesn't detest people for their differing beliefs; he's equally kind to everyone. I think he will allow you to stay for sure."

"Still, I would hate to be an unnecessary bother for the villagers." Once again the boy tried to refuse her offer as politely as he could. "Thank you for your offer, Miss, but I don't think I can take it up."

The girl smiled. It was a smile intended to show him that she had a way of making him agree with her, whether the stubborn lad liked it or not.

"Well, you should at least go see Lord Emon once, so he can tell the shrine guardians not to harm you when they are out patrolling and see you in the forest …"

He was speechless for a moment, and then he laughed.

"I give up, Miss. I'll go see this Lord Emon of yours."

"I'm not forcing you. I just think it will be good to do so," Mono replied with another brilliant smile. "And please don't call me 'Miss'. Just Mono will do."

"All right … Mono" Her name escaped his lips softly, with shyness and unfamiliarity. He looked her over and noticed a rattan basket slung over her shoulder. It had been coated with resin so it could hold water inside, making a lighter carrier than earthenware pots. "Are you going back to the village?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then hop on," he said, patting the shoulder of his black horse. "We can go there together."

Mono's lips moved as if to speak, but then she **s**topped and looked around hesitantly.

"Will it be all right?"

"Of course. You ride him, and I'll walk beside and lead the way," he replied, thinking that perhaps she was worried about the properness of them riding together. "And then when we reach the village, would you mind taking me to see the head priest?"

She nodded in agreement, smiling.

"I'd be glad to."

He stepped aside, letting Mono approach the horse. She halted and paused beside the beast nervously, looking up to the saddle that sat far above her head. He could tell she had never ridden a horse before.

"Agro, be still." With those words, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up onto the stallion's back. Even with the weight of the water-filled basket, she was so light that he was surprised. "Place your left foot in the stirrup and grab the rein**s**."

Mono followed the instructions quickly despite the slight trembling of her hands and feet; even after she had properly seated herself in the saddle the girl seemed tense. Her tutor had to force himself not to smile and said gently:

"Relax. Agro is docile. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Despite the boy's reassurances Mono remained nervous and edgy, clinging to the saddle horn tightly as the Arslan led his steed along the path. It took awhile after the horse had left the pond in the grove for her to finally get familiar with the rhythm of riding and relax as previously instructed. She began to ask questions.

"So his name isAgro?"

He turned back to see her patting the long mane of his petgently, a motion that made the horseman smile.

"That's right."

"Then it is very nice to meet you, Agro."

His smile widened at her words. He was thinking that Agro would probably smile too if he were human when she asked him yet another question.

"And what about you?"

"… Huh?"

"You know, what should I call you?"

"Well …" He tried to think of something.

"It would be too long to call you 'Agro's owner', don't you think?"

He laughed a little at this.

"I guess you have a point."

"Then what would you like me to call you?" urged Mono.

"Hmm… just call me 'Wanderer'." It was the first word that came into his head, and seemed fitting in his current situation

"Wanderer…That doesn't sound much like a name," she commented, a mischievous smile crossing her face.

"Well it'll have to do, because right now I'm only a nameless wanderer." At least until eight moons had passed and he returned to his tribe anyway, he thought.

"Then nice to meet you, Wanderer," Mono replied in her sweet voice, loweringher gaze untilshe met his eyes with her jet-dark ones. For the rest of his days he would never forget how her face looked at that moment, ethereal under the golden beams that shone through the leaves.

* * *

_That day the bright sunlight had been stifling hot. The leather bag he kept drinking water and his own throat were both parched from yesterday, after a three-night journey along the edge of a desert. It was the dawn of that particular day he found a meadow and the green canopies of forests in the distance. From that point onward he let Agro lead the way, trusting his steed's instinct and olfactory sense. Agro did not let him down, following the scent of water until they reached a pond in the afternoon._

_However, he was not the only one there. There was another person: a girl in a radiant white dress kneeling at the edge of the pond, a girl who looked up to see him and said her name was 'Mono'._

_This was how the two met: the nameless wanderer and the girl in white whom fate had bound together._

* * *

Rays of sunlight shone through the green leaves and landed on the soil that was covered with a scattering of brown dead leaves; it was just late summer but the leaves had already started falling. Wanderer glanced at a small pond by the wayside with a few leaves drifting on its still surface, thinking how this pool resembled the one he had come across that day. The difference was the spring lakelet had not held the detritus of fall, and this summer, almost autumnal tarn did not have the figure of the girl in white.

No, not only this pond, but even in the village, in the meadow or anywhere, anytime, her delicate feet could not bring the girl, whose walking movement was like dancing through the sky, there anymore.

It was all because of _them_, and because he wasn't there with her, at that time when –

He bit his lip bitterly, kicking at Agro's side to spur him on. He kept going forward even though his thoughts were forever drifting backwards to the past; the boy continued to dwell on it every moment of every day, whether he was riding through the forest, finding shelter from the rain under a large boulder, or traveling under light drizzle in some distant meadow.

The journey continued until finally he reached a large mountain pass. 'Mountain pass' wasn't exactly the right term for it; although for the most part it seemed to be formed from a natural rock cliff, the lower parts of the gorge had been chiseled and carved into a row of columns. Moreover, at the edge of the pass right next to the empty space in the middle were blocks of yellowish white rock carved into intricate patterns reminiscent of a great city gate's design. High over the passageway rose even taller stone columns, the very same he had seen from a distance the night before and misidentified as gigantic statues. Small trees and vines sprang from the cracks in the columns and the walls as proof of how long this place had been forsaken. A blinding white light shone through the gap between the massive pillars, so monstrously large they seemed to have been built by gods or giants rather than men.

Wanderer looked up at the gate to the ancient land in awe for a few moments before slowly moving on.

On the other side of the mountain pass was a long bridge made of white stone connected to a grand tower. The tower seemed to reach up to the heavens, so dizzyingly high that not even hawks could fly over its top. The bridge looked as if it could only exist because of some enchantment; so large and so lofty was it that someone on the ground would look as tiny as a fingertip to the eyes of one on the bridge. It was supported with tall columns and arches, spreading its weight evenly along the way. At one point the bridge stretched over an abyss, where there was a beach and the sea under shadows of surrounding cliffs. To the east there were many levels of great waterfalls, sending their rapid currents out to sea.

_It'll probably take more than a thousand steps to cross the bridge_, Wanderer thought as they approached the middle of the bridge. He had counted that Agro had taken about five hundred steps so far and he gave up keeping track of them all at this point, letting his steed walk slowly and carefully until they reached the balcony of the tower. A carved stone door was there, with no handle and seemingly no other ways to open it save some unseen mechanism or magic.

But the Wanderer knew just how to open it.

He reached for the sheathed sword at his waist. The freed silver blade glowed an unearthly white, reflected the sunlight, and gathered it into a single bright ray pointing toward the concave circle pattern at the center of the door.

The sounds of stone moving suddenly echoed in reply. The heavy door opened slowly as if it were being pushed up by a gigantic hand, revealing the realm of darkness behind it.

Agro neighed nervously and backed away from the darkened passage, as if sensing some danger ahead. Wanderer examined the path before him briefly, like he had with all the other paths he had chosen, and then spurred his horse to go inside.

There would be no turning back in the ancient land they had set foot in.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**

**Chapter 1 - Prohibited Art**


	2. Chapter 1: Prohibited Art

_Special thanks to Alex Rowe, for a proofreading of this chapter._

**Chapter 1**** - Prohibited Art**

The heavy stone gates moved slowly with a low rumble. At first Wanderer saw only pitch-darkness beyond those doors, as his eyes were well accustomed to bright sunlight up until this point. Mono, however, seemed to know the way around here very well and led the way for him without being troubled by the lack of light inside the structure. She walked past the two masked shrine guardians, who had opened the doors to the shrine hall for them without any questions about the young stranger and bowed after the girl's delicate figure. Seeing this, the Arslan youth could not help but wonder if she were an important person to the village or the shrine somehow.

He followed her into a spacious hall, not a narrow pathway as he had expected. His eyes gradually adjusted to the dim illumination until he saw that there was a large incense burner placed before a stone altar, and a round hole in the center of the dome-shaped ceiling. From what he had heard, the large skylight was the most notable characteristic of shrines dedicated to the Sun God in Sacreda Sol; it was meant for the God's heavenly light to pass through and bathe the prayer house with His blessings for the conducted ceremony, be it a routine mass, a wedding, or a funeral. But at this time the hole was closed with a round metallic cover, supposedly controlled by some mechanism. Thus, the empty hall was left barely illuminated by thin rays of sunlight that shone through barred windows behind the altar. Two rows of stone statues were placed along both sidewalls, facing one another. Each of the sculptures looked different from one another, and the Arslan visitor guessed they were probably idols for worshipping or offering protection to the shrine.

"This way," his guide said softly, leading him to the right side of the hall. There was a stairway descending downstairs. At the end of it was a wooden door, which she opened into a long underground corridor. She then led him along the path that was sporadically lit by flame torches hanging on the wall. They passed many wooden doors on the left wall until they reached a corner and turned right. Not long after they had turned the corner, the only stone door on their right caught Wanderer's eyes. There were no handles on it; only intricate carvings all over the stone surface apart from the concave circle in its center.

"That's the ritual chamber. Only the head priest and _the chosen one_ can enter it when they are to perform the ritual, so it is locked most of the time," perhaps because she sensed he was interested in the stone door, Mono explained quietly in an eerily vacant voice.

"What kind of ritual is it?" The young man asked. He had heard that any ritual for the Sun God would be performed in the shrine hall, with bright sunlight touching the ground as the representative of the deity. As far as he knew, none of the rituals were performed in an underground chamber like this.

"The creation of a guardian deity," the girl still replied in the same voice. "It's a ritual that The Holy Capital has ordered this village to perform especially. This ritual is meant for –"

At this point, Mono stopped talking and stood still.

"For what?" Wanderer asked.

"Huh? Did I just say something?" To his surprise, she turned back and asked him back.

He hid his own doubt and slowly explained to her.

"You just told me that the room behind the stone door was for a special ritual, and then you were going to say what the ritual was meant for."

"Am I?" Mono said slowly. "I'm sorry. That's as much as I can tell you. I just realized I shouldn't say more than this."

"It's all right, if you can't or shouldn't tell me," he said.

And then no one said anything. She just turned back and kept on walking silently.

The walked past the strange stone door, reached another corner, and turned right again. From the shape of the passageway, Wanderer guessed that it surrounded the ritual chamber, which was supposedly a long rectangular-shaped room. He and his guide continued until they reached another wooden door at the end of the corridor, which looked more ornate and older than the other ones.

The girl knocked on the door. A low voice replied immediately, as if the person inside were expecting her.

"Is that you, Mono?"

"Yes, Lord Emon."

"Come in."

Mono opened the door into the room reek of the smell of incense and old paper. The first thing the Arslan youth noticed was lines of bookshelves, covering most of the walls. Then he followed his guide's gaze and saw a desk under one of the lamps that lit the room.

There were two men near the desk, one sitting before it and the other standing beside him. The standing one seemed to be another shrine guardian, since his attire – consisting of leather armor and a mask shaped like bird's face that covered the upper part of his face – looked similar to the two gatekeepers. However, unlike the other two guardians who each carried only one sword, there were two blades strapped to both sides of his belt. The sitting man was shorter and much older. He was a plump old man with short gray hair, wearing a white robe with a hood hanging at its back. The front and the back of the robe were covered with a poncho that reached down to his knees. It was elaborately embroidered with black, yellow, and pink mystical patterns. With a surprised expression, the older man looked at the young visitor, who was standing behind the girl in white. Then he asked with the voice Wanderer recalled hearing before he entered the room.

"Who's that?"

"A wanderer from Arslan Tribe," replied Mono. "I found him at the pond. He said he was heading to Savon River."

"Oh," the old priest immediately nodded in understanding. "The flood, I see."

"That's right. He said he would like to camp around here so I brought him to see you first."

Emon met Wanderer's eyes and smiled gently.

"Please, make yourself at home, young lad. There's something we must discuss," he said before turning back to the girl. "And what about your duty?"

Wanderer glanced at Mono, seeing her raise the water basket she had carried along the way.

"It's done, Milord."

"Good," the old man nodded and turned to the shrine guardian beside him, "Yaheem, go with Mono."

"But Milord," the shrine guardian whispered very softly. Unfortunately, the Arslan hunter's keen ears caught it. He also noticed that the eyes behind the mask were eying him suspiciously.

Emon seemed to understand what the guardian wanted to say. Still, he insisted.

"It's all right. Leave us."

So the shrine guardian bowed to him, then Mono, and led the girl out of the room silently, leaving the head priest alone with Wanderer.

As they were alone in the library, the old priest turned to the young wanderer again. His face still looked as kind as before when he asked the youth.

"You're on your coming-of-age journey, are you not?"

"Yes, I am, Milord," Wanderer answered politely.

"You will have to wait another three moons to cross the river."

"Mono has already told me that," he said. "All I would like to ask of you is to allow me to stay in the forest around here. I can assure you I won't cause any trouble to the shrine or the villagers."

To his surprise, the elderly priest chuckled lightly.

"I'm not worried about that, and so shouldn't you. Officers from the Capital come here for inspection and fetching tribute just once in three years," said the old man as he rose up from his chair and approaching the youth. "It's two years from now they return. Surely you'll return to your tribe before they come. Should you wish, you can stay in the village or even in this shrine for the time being."

"I appreciate your kindness, Milord, but I don't think I should," he replied, lowering his face. "I have a horse with me, and I'm not familiar with your custom and tradition. I'm afraid I might unknowingly offend you."

Emon laughed louder this time. His laughter reminded Wanderer of his own grandfather, when the old man lifted the young grandson up to sit on his lap and told him tales from ancient times, in the deerskin tent that was warm with fire.

"Even so, from your words I can tell that you're very well-mannered, even though you say you don't know our ways yet." The old priest's wrinkled yet fleshy hand touched his shoulder in a friendly way. "Then I know a perfect place for you, young lad. There's a cabin at the edge of the forest. It's been vacant for years. The old hunter who lived there died a long time ago and he had no children. If you don't feel comfortable staying with others, you can stay there. At least I think it's better than camping in the forest. The forest here may seem peaceful, but there are dangerous beasts to beware."

"Thank you so much, Milord. I really appreciate it," he said, bowing as low as possible to show his respect and gratitude.

"You're welcome. As the head of this shrine, it is my pleasure to receive a guest as best as I could. I wish you would feel comfortable staying with us."

There was a curt knock on the door. Emon turned and called a name as if he already knew who it was.

"Yaheem, is it not?"

"Yes, Milord."

"Come in."

The Shrine Guardian, Yaheem, entered the library once again, but this time without the girl in white with whom he had left.

"Has Mono done her duty?" the priest asked him.

"Yes, she has, Milord."

"Good. Then now can you take our guest to the hunter Yorei's cabin?"

"Yorei's cabin?" Wanderer thought he heard puzzlement in Yaheem's voice.

"Yes. I allow this young lad to stay there until he can cross the river."

"I understand, Milord," Yaheem bowed to Emon. Then he turned toward Wanderer and nodded, silently telling him to follow. Thus the Arslan visitor paid his respect to the priest for the last time before leaving the library.

They went out to the underground corridor with Yaheem wordlessly in lead, saying nothing and not expecting anything to be said. So the younger man remained silent too as he followed. But when they passed the stone door of the ritual chamber, he stopped short without thinking.

The shrine guardian could probably tell from the abrupt echo of his companion's footstep, as he turned his head back to ask.

"What is it?"

"The door," Wanderer pointed to the door. He noticed that the bottom edge of the door, which had been shut tight against the floor, was slightly ajar now. If the room inside were dark, he wouldn't have notice, but there was a thin ray of light reflected on the stone floor that caught his eyes.

"What about it?" Yaheem said nonchalantly.

"I was wondering about the door because-" the youth almost let it slip, but managed to bit his tongue and held himself just in time. Mono was hesitant to tell him about the ritual. If Yaheem knew that he learned something from her, she might be in trouble.

"Because of what?"

"Nothing. On the way in I thought it wasn't a door and I didn't expect that it could be opened."

"Just forget about it. An outsider like you has no business with the doors of our shrine," said the Shrine Guardian more sharply and curtly. So the younger man kept his mouth shut all the way even after they exited the shrine's main hall.

When the two men reached the courtyard, Yaheem turned and led Wanderer to the stable on the left of the main building, where the girl had brought the youth there to keep Agro before they went into the shrine. In the stable he met her again, standing in front of the outermost stall where his steed was. It looked quite outstanding among other plain black horses in the other stalls and only a pure white horse in the innermost stall.

"Mono," the Arslan rider called as he approached her. The girl turned to him and smiled, her right hand reaching out toward Agro's face, while the other holding a brown pouch.

"Agro really likes these sugar cubes. He quickly ate all of what I gave him," she said joyfully, like a small child who had just found a new pet.

"No wonder. He had never eaten anything like that before," he couldn't help but returned her smile. "I thank you in his place. But please don't give him too much sweet. It might not be good for him."

"I know. I guess it's enough for today," she replied, petting the horse on its forehead and nose. "But I'll give you another treat next time, Agro. Just don't get bored of it yet, okay?"

Wanderer chuckled, but stopped as he heard someone clearing his throat. Both the Arslan youth and the girl in white turned to look at the shrine guardian who stood behind them.

"Oh, Yaheem, just when did you get here? You must have been very quiet since I didn't notice you at all," Mono said, her eyes glittering mischievously.

"I arrived here with the Arslan man, Lady Mono," replied Yaheem. Wanderer glanced at him, noticing that the lower part of his face was as emotionless as the mask that covered its upper part. But what he was more surprised at was how respectfully he addressed the younger girl, regarding her with the equal respect as he did the head priest.

Mono shrugged and gave him yet one of her brilliant smiles.

"I was just kidding. Please don't take it too seriously."

"Not at all. I never take your words as offence, Milady," Yaheem answered, his face still as hard as stone. The girl shook her head and changed the subject.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Lord Emon told me to take the Arslan man to Yorei's cabin."

"Granfather's cabin?" exclaimed Mono, sounding suddenly enthusiastic. "Then can I go too? I've never been there for a long time."

"I'm afraid you can't, Milady. You haven't got Lord Emon's permission yet."

Mono frowned.

"Then wait here, I'll go ask Lord Emon right away," she said, starting to head outside the stable, but stopped short after just a few steps.

"I don't think Lord Emon will allow it. The evening mass will begin soon."

Mono immediately turned to face Yaheem and started to protest.

"But-"

"You can go to the cabin tomorrow, but you absolutely should never miss the mass."

"All right," she said softly, lowering her face in surrender, but not quite giving up yet. "But can I speak to Wanderer for a moment?"

"Wanderer?" Yaheem repeated the name.

"You know, the wanderer from Arslan Tribe. That's what I call him," she explained.

"Of course, but please don't take too long," replied the shrine guardian before he spoke no more, just standing looking at both of them silently. The girl sighed and finally turned to the other man.

"Grandfather's cabin is the best place around here. It has the warmest fireplace in winter," Mono told him softly, her eyes glittering with delight.

However, Wanderer smiled wryly in reply.

"But I think you forget something. It's late spring now and I won't be staying here for long. I'll probably leave before winter comes."

At this, she shrugged.

"Then I'll say that it is the house with windows placed at just the right angles for the coolest breezes in summer."

He burst out laughing and couldn't stop himself this time.

"Thanks for telling me. I'm so glad to be lodging in a house that is both warm in winter and cool in summer. By the way, is he a relative of yours?"

"Oh, no, we aren't related at all," she replied. "It's just that, when I was a child, I used to play near his cabin so often that he thought of me as his own grandchild. That's why I've gotten used to calling him Grandfather."

"I see," the young man responded. Then he asked as he thought of something. "So where do you live?"

Mono looked away from him and sighed.

"It's here."

"In the shrine?"

"Yes."

"Are you a relative of a priest here?" Wanderer guessed. The girl before him looked too young and quite too joyous for a priestess. A relative of one of the priests is the most reasonable relationship he could possibly think of as to why this place was her home.

Mono opened her mouth and was about to answer, but then Yaheem cleared his throat again.

"I'm afraid the time is up."

She glanced at the shrine guardian once more, and turned to look at the young man apologetically.

"It's time for you and Yaheem to go. Maybe we can talk some other time."

After that, Mono stepped out of the way, letting Yaheem approach one of the stalls with the brown horse and unlatched the bolt, letting the steed. Wanderer took Agro out of the other stall as well. Then they got on their horses and the shrine guardian led the visitor out of the stable.

The young Arslan rider briefly glanced over his shoulder to see the girl in white waving at him. He waved slightly, then turned his head and followed the shrine guardian's back to the cabin that would be his lodge for the time being.

On that day, if only he had known or suspected the purpose of the ritual chamber he had never expected he would had a chance to enter later, or the thoughts buried deep in Emon, Yaheem and Mono's minds, he would not have ended up here in the forbidden lands on this very day.

* * *

At first when the door closed behind him, there was only darkness, but as his eyes adjusted to the dark he saw a flight of stairs descending to the bright doorway. He passed through the doorway into a tower, where there was a stone pathway spiraling down. The ceiling of the tower was shaped into a dome with a familiar circular skylight in its center, very similar to the shrine of the Sun God the Arslan youth had visited. The spiral pathway was wide enough for the horse to walk along, and Agro slowly made it way down the path while his master looked around. Then the rider's eyes suddenly widened as he saw a pool on the lower floor. 

It was round-shaped, as large as the light hole in the ceiling and with the rim that was just as high as one's ankle. A portion of the rim was missing as though to allow someone to step into the pool. If not for the lichen-filled green water inside, he could have sworn that it was-

_Alike. As alike as if they were the same place_…Wanderer thought frightfully; it looked just like the ritual chamber he had once seen.

He passed the tower area through another doorway and found himself in a rectangular hall, spacious and bathed in golden sunlight. Along the sidewalls were statues, again just like in the ritual chamber. The only difference would be that these set of sculptures were so colossal that no mortal hands could have carved them. Each was taller than ten men, looking like some legendary beast or grotesque devil. Some resembled warriors of the ancient times, armed with gigantic weapons. Some resembled snakes or scaled dragons, curling their bodies and raising their heads high. And others resembled some kind of bulls or four-legged beasts, their mouths opening wide in a growl or a sneer.

Wanderer looked at the statues one by one. There were eight idols on each row, sixteen altogether, lined up like sentries of this sacred land. Every enormous stone eye seemed to glare hungrily at the trespasser of the forbidden land, waiting for a chance to punish him for his crime, to tear him into pieces when he let his guard down.

And yet nothing happened. The young rider and his steed went on until they reached the farther area of the hall where it was even brighter, partly due to the skylight in the ceiling similar to the one in the tower. An open porch was ahead, flanked by two sets of staircases leading down to the vast plains outside, which were another source of overwhelming sunlight. Directly before him was a long altar, and above the altar was a stone structure that reached down from the ceiling and loomed above the altar, like a lid of a coffin frozen there by some kind of magic.

Agro stopped. Wanderer dismounted it and pulled the limp bundle down from its back. A pair of white, pale feet emerged from beneath the dark fabric as he carried the body in the bundle carefully, heading to a short set of stairs before the altar. He hesitated for a moment before approaching it and set the bundle down. Then, with a swift movement of his wrist, he pulled the dark cloth away, revealing what was covered in it.

Only the white dress and long, black hair swayed in the wind as the exposed body remained motionless. The girl's pale face slightly turned sideway, her eyes closed. One of her hands lied limply at her side, while the other placed on her still chest.

The young man's green eyes were fixed on her in a sad and painful gaze, as he recalled when her glittering eyes were open and look back at him, when her sweet voice called him "Wanderer" and spoke to him of so many things. Then he remembered another memory, of another voice that belonged to Emon, speaking slowly and flowingly as if he were reciting a tale remembered by heart and passed down orally generation after generation.

"_That place... began from the resonance of intersecting points. They are memories replaced by ens and naught and etched into stone. Blood, young sprouts, sky--and the one with the ability to control beings created from light. In that world, it is said that if one should wish it one can bring back the souls of the dead..."_

In his mind, the Arslan youth began to see a map, so old that the paper had turned crisp and yellow from age, and then the old priest in white robe. At the tip of his hood hung a wooden mask shaped like the face of an owl, the winged messenger of the gods.

"_But," continued the priest, his voice loud and each words stressed so fearfully. "To trespass upon that land is strictly forbidden..."_

As he was lost in his thoughts, something suddenly emerged from the stone floor behind him and before the beastly statues.

Black shadows slowly formed in shape of human, one by one, until there were five of them. Agro backed off and neighed frantically, calling his master's attention to the crooked figures as they hobbled menacingly toward both of the trespassers.

Wanderer turned to face the shadowy beings, his eyes wavering just for a second before regaining their look of pure determination. His hand moved his side, unsheathed the silver blade, and held it in the sun's ray with its tip pointing toward the shadows. As soon as the light touched them, the black figures dissolved, like a dark mist blown away by the wind or shadow replaced by light.

And then the sky above the great shrine raged as if a great being had been disturbed by the visitors' appearances and awakened from its long slumber. Lightning flashed and thunder roared before majestic voices boomed through the skylight, one seeming to belong to a man and the other a woman. They spoke and echoed together at the same time.

_**Hmm? Thou possess the Ancient Sword? So thou art mortal...**_

The young man looked up to see where the voices came from, but saw no one.

"Are you Dormin?" he asked, sheathing his sword. "I was told that in this place at the end of the world – there exists a being who can control the souls of the dead."

_**Thou art correct... We are the one known as Dormin... **_replied the voices.

"She was sacrificed, for she has a cursed fate," Wanderer continued, turning his gaze back to the lifeless body on the altar "Please, I need you to bring back her soul..."

The voices that claimed to be Dormin chuckled.

That maiden's soul? Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed... Is that not the law of mortals? The masculine voice sounded almost amused, while the feminine voice spoke slightly slower as though sympathizing with him.

The youth lowered his face speechlessly. They were right. He knew that what he craved was unquestionably against the law of nature. But what other choice did he have? He had nowhere else to go and no one else to return to, if the mighty owners of the voices did not agree to help him.

_**With that sword, however... it may not be impossible...**_ Dormin continued.

"Really?!" cried Wanderer. His flickering hope flared up once again, like embers sprang back into flames with a splash of oil.

That is of course, if thou manage to accomplish what We askest.

"What do I have to do?" the young man urged.

_**Behold the idols that stand along the wall... Thou art to destroy all of them**_, the mysterious beings explained slowly. _**But those idols cannot be destroyed by the mere hands of a mortal...**_

"Then what am I to do?" Wanderer asked again, confused.

_**In this land there exist colossi that are the incarnations of those idols. If thou defeat those colossi--the idols shall fall.**_

"I understand," replied the youth.

_**But heed this,**_ Dormin spoke more grimly. _**The price you pay may be heavy indeed.**_

The young man clenched his fists to hide his anxiety, and answered as sternly as he could.

"It doesn't matter."

_**Very well... **_The unknown beings responded. _**Raise thy sword by the light **__**and head to the place where the sword's light gathers... **__**There, thou shalt find the colossi thou art **__**to defeat...**_

Wanderer approached the altar, his gaze fixed on the body lying on it as he was going to ask about something. But then the voices from above rang out once again as though their owners could read his mind.

_**Do not worry about thy maiden. This land is safe from harmful beasts, and is timeless. She will remain like this, unchanged, till thy deed is done. However, do make haste, as the time outside this land never stays still.**_

_**Now, be on thy way.**_

The voices grew fainter and fainter until all was silence. The Arslan rider wistfully looked at the girl's lifeless body just for a moment longer, before he got on his steed and rode out of the deserted shrine. With the ancient sword held high above his head and its guiding light pointing to the south, he headed toward that direction without further delay.

_A prohibited art could only be destroyed by another one of such arts._

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** I got the title of this chapter "Prohibited Art" from the name of one of the original soundtracks of the game. At first I had thought of changing the title to "Forbidden Ritual," but in the end I decided to stick to the song's name after all.

The forbidden land being "timeless" is my own invention as I see that it is always daytime in the game, and I think that Wanderer's tasks must take quite a long time to accomplish, at least long enough for Mono's body to…err…decay in the mean time. So, having Dormin state the invented fact that the land is timeless is the best solution I can think of to this problem. However, it's still debatable why Mono didn't decay already before Wanderer reached the Forbidden Land.

Actually this chapter was done for quite a while, but I did not post it yet as I turned to writing the Thai version first. I am glad to say that I have finished the 52-chapter-long Thai version of the story (plus a prologue and an epilogue) and I will continue the translation from now on.

Comments and suggestions are most welcome. :)


	3. Chapter 2: In Awe of the Power

**Chapter 2**** – In Awe of the Power**

A sheer cliff was looming before the plain, and the light of the sword shone directly into it.

Wanderer estimated that with his steed, he could reach the cliff in even less than an hour. Finding a clear watering hole under the shade of a big tree on the way, he decided to take a short rest before continue onward. As he looked up to the tree's spreading branches, the boy saw that they were heavy with several strange-looking brown fruits. Having never seen such a kind of fruits before, he was not sure if they were edible. He did not worry much about food though. If this land were timeless, he probably would neither feel hungry nor need to eat anything. So he merely drank from the pool and washed his face with its water, while Agro lowered its head, drinking beside him.

When he finished washing his face, his eyes met those of his own reflection on the rippling water surface. The sight of his leaner face and darkened eyelids reminded him of a memory once in the past.

And of course, the girl named Mono was an important part of it.

* * *

The refreshed Arslan youth woke up early. He had not slept under a roof without having to keep an eye out for dangers in the wilderness for a long time. Although the late hunter's cabin was left in a virtually deserted state – with dust and cobwebs everywhere and a musty odor that lingered on even though the boy had left every window open all night long – it was more comfortable than he had expected. Also, the late hunter probably kept a horse or two when he was alive, as there was a horse stable larger than enough for the boy's steed. 

When he had fed Agro grains and fodder given to him by the shrine, he washed a wooden bucket found in the cabin and filled it with water from the side well. Then he washed his face and sat down on a tree stump, beginning to shave with the reflection on the water surface in place of a mirror. It was during the process that he heard sounds of footsteps drawing near.

"Wanderer!" the familiar sweet voice that rang up before the figure in white appeared told the young man of his visitor's identity. "I brought you some–"

The voice suddenly trailed off, and he turned to see its owner startled, staring at him in surprise.

"Is there anything on my face?"

"N-no," Mono lowered her face shyly. "I was just…surprised. You look so different from yesterday. With that…beard…I thought you were much older than me, even older than Yaheem. I almost forgot that you were on your coming-of-age journey, so you should be about my age."

"I see," he responded, trying to hide his smile. "I don't have time to shave regularly during the journey, so that wasn't strange."

The girl finally brought herself to glance at him and the wooden bucket for a brief moment.

"Why do you look at your reflection in the bucket, not a mirror?"

"I don't have one with me. A man doesn't normally keep a mirror with him, you know."

"I guess so," answered Mono, before she remarked curiously. "But, seriously, I think men do need mirrors more than women. I can comb my hair without one because it won't hurt at all if my hand slips. But if I were a man and I had to shave without a mirror, I guess my hand would shake so badly that I couldn't do it at all."

Wanderer chuckled in his throat, even when his hand continued to move the knife, and the girl cried louder.

"Be careful! You might cut yourself!"

"It's all right. Even if I do cut myself, it'll be just a scratch and get healed in no time."

"Even so," she sighed. "I think I'd better find you a mirror next time."

"No, thank you. I'm used to doing it this way."

At this, the girl shrugged and gave up.

"Anyway, I brought you your breakfast. Please have it when you finish."

"Thank you, but actually you needn't bother. I can hunt for myself."

"Oh, it's not a bother at all," she laughed softly, sitting down on another tree stump next to the one he was sitting on. "It is Lord Emon's wish, as there are always more than enough to eat at the shrine."

"I see," Wanderer answered, then remarked thoughtfully. "But I thought he'd order one of the guardians to do so."

Mono smiled sheepishly.

"Actually he was about to call Yaheem, but I offered to come here before he could."

The boy shook his head, but his eyes could barely hide the gleam that resembled in hers.

"Or you'd rather see Yaheem than me?" she asked playfully.

"Not at all. I'm just worried about your safety if you come alone. Though I have to admit I feel more comfortable around you than him."

Mono giggled.

"A nice answer," she said. "Thank you for your concern, but it's all right. In my free time, I take a walk around the village alone so often that everyone's used to it. I came to Grandfather Yorei's cabin on my own several times. Only after he passed away that they didn't allow me to. They said some poisonous creatures or culprits might seek hiding in the house and harm me."

"I see." Wanderer nodded. Finishing shaving, he washed his knife, shook the drops of water from the blade, and splashed the bucket on the grass. It was then that he remembered. "Oh, yesterday I was going to ask you –"

"Why I am living in the shrine?" Mono knowingly finished the question for him. "I'm an orphan. Lord Emon adopted me and let me help around there."

"Is that so?" the youth replied. "Then why did Yaheem call you 'Lady Mono?' He seemed to respect you so much."

The girl was silent for a moment.

"Here in the shrine I'm in…a higher position than the guardians. Because there's a duty I'm assigned to do alone."

"What is it?"

"Fetching water for the sacred rites."

Wanderer nodded. "Like when I first saw you?"

"That's right," Mono replied, giving him the basket as if she had just realized. "Oh, I almost forgot. You should have your breakfast before it gets cold."

He put the basket on his lap. When he revealed the cloth, he saw a bun and a bowl of red soup. The aroma suddenly aroused his appetite. He turned to the girl again.

"Thank you so much. But don't you have to return quickly? I'm afraid they'll be worried about you at the shrine."

"I will, in a moment. But I'll come again in the afternoon," Mono answered. Then she continued hesitantly. "I hope you wouldn't mind if I tell you this; I'm here to see you because there're a lot of questions I want to ask you."

"Ask me? About what?" he asked, puzzled.

"About the Arslan people." Mono stood up, brushing the dust from the back of her dress. "I want to know about your tribe. If you don't mind and have some free time to share, would you please satisfy my curiosity?"

"Why would you want to know about people like us?" he couldn't help but ask. She was silent for a moment, her expression thoughtful as she was finding a sound reason.

"Because I can't leave this place. I've been here all my life. But I know this world's larger than this. That's why I want to know how other peoples live, and there are not many books about your tribe in the shrine."

"Hmm…"

"Or you don't feel comfortable talking to me?" she said worriedly.

He gave her a sincere smile.

"Not at all. I'll be more than welcome if you'd like to listen. Not that I know a lot about the tales and stuff, though."

She gave him a wide smile, showing the rows of her pearly teeth.

"Thank you so much!" The girl almost jumped with joy, but then realized about manner. She lowered her face and clasped her hands together more meekly. "I must go now. I'll come here again in the afternoon after I deliver the water to the shrine."

"Wait," Wanderer called her. "You're going to the pond again today?"

"Yes. Actually, everyday."

"Can I go with you, then?" he offered. "This way we'll have more time to talk."

"That's very nice of you," answered Mono. "I'll bring you lunch. Then we'll go to the pond together."

The girl waved her hand and smiled to him before she left, but at least this wasn't the only time they met on that day.

Wanderer shook his head. This was no time for recollection. Now and here was the present where he had to accomplish his task as soon as possible, even though time stayed still in this land.

Having rested from his tiredness, he rode on and soon reached a high cliff shadowing the earth. Like the gate to this land, it did not seem a totally natural cliff, but combined with manmade structures; there were stone stairs leading to the alcove surrounded by the bluff, and a pair of broken columns flanked them. Some part of the cliff looked as there had been a flight of stairs leading upward, but time had completely destroyed that. There was no way he could walk up, let alone Agro. The cliff face rose up almost vertically.

The youth thought he had gone the wrong way, or perhaps he had to circle around the cliff, but holding the sword up he saw that the light pointed up above the precipice. The colossus was there and he had to find a way up.

He examined the surface of the cliff and found some vines covering a part of it. Jerking some vines forcefully, he found that they were strong enough to bear his weigh. So he climbed.

The steed neighed and walked around the small alcove, waiting for his master. Wanderer went along the way, jumping across some gaps and climbing some ledges until he got to a clearing above the cliff. It was covered with short grass and a few shrubs. Close to him were a leafless tree and a big rock that obscured his view.

He approached it, thinking of circling around the boulder to get a clearer look of his surrounding, but then the ground trembled. It first seemed like a mild earthquake, before he heard another rumble.

From behind the rock, Wanderer saw an enormous leg, thicker than the biggest tree trunk he could ever remember in his own life. It ended with an iron hoof. Then there was another leg that moved its body forward. He looked up and saw a sloping, ape-like back. At some parts it was covered with light brown hair, while the other parts were bluish gray skin that seemed as rough as the surface of a rock. Some ivory-colored stones, or perhaps bones, protruded the skin from where the backbone should be.

The creature had broad shoulders and arms that looked almost as big as its legs. Its hands were similar to those of a human's, but so large that the boy felt sure that it could squeeze the life out of him like an insect, probably without the help of the stone club in its right hand.

It glanced to the left for a moment, and he saw that its face was covered with a stone mask. Its glaring eyes were like those of the statues in the deserted shrine, but larger and flaring with a living blue light.

It was as tall as the cliff that surrounded the clearing. Its only one step sent tremor to the earth and a smoke of dust in the air. When it went past the trees, flocks of birds hurriedly flew away.

The hunter could only stare at it from behind the rock. Fortunately it did not see him yet. He had to think hard of how he could handle it. While listening to Dormin, he had not thought that those creatures would be this 'colossal'. For one man with only a bow and arrows, a sword, and small daggers, even approaching it safely was a grave question, let alone killing it.

The beast with club went past the rock Wanderer was hiding and walked on until he faced its back. The boy concentrated, thinking of what his older brother had taught him.

* * *

_Back then, his brother managed to kill a wild bull so large that it took three men to carry the game back to the tribe. Such a bull would normally took two or three hunters on horsebacks to circle around it and attack it with arrows and javelins until it died, but his brother could killed it even though he was just a new hunter._

_Back then he was eleven. His only brother was eighteen and had recently passed the naming ritual. Wanderer was so proud of him and admired him, hoping that one day he could become such a skilled hunter._

"_You're so great, brother! You must be very strong to kill that big bull."_

_After seeing the dead bull, he told his brother with awe, while the young man was washing the bloodstained dagger in a creek._

_The tall boy, who looked similar to him with the same auburn hair and green eyes, laughed and ruffled his hair._

"_I'm not stronger than anyone, really. It's a matter of concentration, planning, and chance."_

"_How?" the boy asked curiously._

"_Well, if you concentrate well, you'll be able to think of a good plan and find the right chance to strike. Then you can win against any foe, no matter how much stronger than you."_

_

* * *

__Yes, concentration, planning, and chance…_ Wanderer mulled over the words in his mind, telling himself that the colossus was no different from a game he had to hunt. Although it was many times larger than those he had hunted, or even himself, the weapons he had could probably kill it if he struck at vital organs such as brain or heart. 

But did colossi have internal organs like ordinary animals? He could not help but ask. They did have body hair indeed, but their flesh looked like stone. Could an arrow or a sword penetrate it? Or if they could, still could they reach those organs?

What he could do now was to take a risk anyway. The youth slipped out of his hiding. The beast still had its back to him and was walking slowly. Its gigantic body must enable it unimaginable strength, but it was much slower than him. If things went wrong, he could probably hide or get away from it in time.

Wanderer took out his bow and arrow, and shot at its flat head.

The target was struck. The colossus winced, but it did not seem in pain more than a human bitten by an ant. To make matter worse, it looked back toward him with the eyes that had turned bright crimson as if to show its temper.

The boy rolled back to behind the boulder, but its footstep – now somewhat quickened – still approached him and brought with it more violent tremor. He realized that with its eyes looking down from such a height, it must have seen him even from behind the rock.

But now he was reminded of its eyes.

He lunged to the side of the rock and shot another arrow at one of its eyes. The first one missed, hitting the stone mask and falling to the ground. The following arrow met its mark, but he was awarded only with a surprise.

His arrow could not do anything to its eye. There was no chance to blind it.

He ran back to the path he had taken up the cliff. It was much narrower there and the colossus could not follow him. At least it would help buy him some time to think of other ways.

_**Hold up thy sword to reflect the light onto the colossus. Its vitals shall be revealed...**_

Dormin's voice rang in his mind as he was crouching. Wanderer sprang up and raised the sword to the sunlight as told. He almost dropped it in despair when the gathered light pointed to the head of the approaching colossus.

_But how can I ever get there?_ He questioned desperately. The gigantic being was much closer to him now. For a moment it stood still, unable to reach the source of its disturbance. But then it swung its club at the cliff face, sending stones raining down. The impact almost sent the boy tumbling from the path. Fortunately he could grab the ledge and climb up before scrambling for a new hiding.

As he sought hiding behind the same boulder, Dormin answered him.

_**With the same way thou came up this cliff…**_

Climb, then? So he had to climb _all_ the way up to its head? Wanderer looked around. There were no vines on the surrounding cliff, and even if there were, he could be smashed to death by that colossus while making his way up. The only thing he could climb would be its own body!

It was trekking back to the rock where he was. The boy thought of the hair on its body. Perhaps he could grab the hair and climb up slowly like he did with the vines, given that its hair was strong enough to support his weight and he could hold onto it so that he was not shaken down by the colossus.

He put down his bow and quiver for dexterity. Then he ran from his hiding to the back of the beast. It saw him, but could not hit him with the club at this close range. It slowly turned back to face him. Now what he had to keep in mind was to not get to close to its feet.

After circling around it for a while, he saw a patch of fur behind its left leg. Waiting until that leg stayed still, Wanderer sprang and grabbed two handfuls of its hair.

It worked. The hair was strong enough to climb. Like sinew, it was tougher than the vines he had climbed.

But the vines could not shake themselves from him; the colossus could. It swung the leg as violently as it could while balancing its enormous bulk.

Wanderer could only hold on for his dear life, until his enemy got tired and placed its left foot on the ground. He used that chance to continue his way until he reached the stone leg guard.

His arms were so tired that he had to let go and drop himself down to the ground. It was then that he glimpsed something beneath the hair on its leg.

_**Strike where its vein glows…**_

With Dormin's advice, the youth circled around it again until his arms regained their strength. Then he jumped up onto its leg, sweeping some hair away to see a glowing green trail on its skin. He took out the sword and thrust it deeply into the trail.

The beast's flesh was hard, but not impenetrable. With half of the sword buried in its leg, the colossus fell down on its knees. The boy pulled the blade out, and its black blood sprayed like a fountain.

No, it was not totally like blood, but similar to those shadows composed of black smoke he had seen in the deserted shrine. He had no time to think whether it were blood or smoke, though, having to run from its shin to jump to grab the edge of the leg guard and going on to its thigh.

Upon reaching its belt, Wanderer saw a peculiar platform behind it. There he rested his arms and climbed up the fur on its back to its shoulder. The colossus tried to shake him off more than a few times, but he managed to hold on. He could not help but thank the gods that its shoulder and neck lied almost parallel to the ground, enabling him to run all the way to its head.

There he saw glowing blue lines composed in a large mystical pattern beneath its hair. So this was the vital point Dormin spoke of. He crept to the pattern, and stabbed it with all his might.

The colossus let out a painful roar. When the sword was removed from the wound, a black spray spread into the air, giving a queasy burnt smell. The black fog surrounded Wanderer, blinding and stinging his eyes. He could only close them and held onto his opponent until it stopped shaking and he could feel that the strange smoke had dissipated.

Then he struck it again, harder and deeper than before.

And again, the black liquid spurted from its wound. The colossus struggled, but it seem much weakened from the injuries. Its response encouraged the youth to deal the third blow, even when the black mist was surrounding him.

There was not a cry this time. The gigantic body slumped forward. Then it crashed into the earth like a crumbling mountain. Wanderer still held on tight for fear he would fall from it and hurt himself.

Even then, the impact stunned him for a moment. When he was able to move, he found that it body was surrounded in a shroud of the same dark mist. He quickly made his way down to the ground, and stared at the dead body with the size of a small hill, his heart pounding so hard as if it would explode.

He did it.

The first colossus was slain.

However, he could not remain surprised or pleased for long. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw black tendrils shooting up from the mist covering the beast's corpse. For a moment they meandered slowly like seaweed in water, but then they slithered faster, like snakes seeing their prey – which was none other than him.

The boy instinctively turned around and ran as fast as he could, but soon the tendrils reached him, as fast as snakes struck.

As they touched his body, he felt as if he was being torn by a thousand knives. Then fright and fear came in his heart, as he sensed something uninvited seeping into every part of his being.

Wanderer fell to his knees. In a blur, he saw himself coughing black liquid onto the grass. Then his head hit the ground and he lost his consciousness.


	4. Chapter 3: Black Blood

**Chapter 3**** – Black Blood**

Wanderer found himself in a glade near the sunlit pond. A figure in white that seemed to glow was kneeling at its edge.

He was first reminded of Mono, but then he saw that it was not her.

That was a boy with short dark hair, looking slightly younger than the Arslan youth. His attire consisted of a plain white shirt and pants, and he had a water basket slung over his shoulder, similar to the one Wanderer saw with Mono.

The boy in white did not seem to acknowledge his presence. He looked down at his own reflection, before the water surface rippled slightly with a drop of his tears.

And a voice rang in Wanderer's mind, a voice so old that it would be impossible to belong to the youth he saw, yet he could not see the speaker in this place.

_Do not be angry with us. It is necessary. For the survival of all people, a sacrifice must be made…_

_You should be proud to be given such an honor to serve our Lord…_

Wanderer felt as if he could sense how sad and desperate the boy was with those words. Then he heard the boy spoke.

"I know. I know you have to do this, not out of anger or hatred. I know that for the majority to survive, a sacrifice must be made…

"But why?

"Why does it have to be me?"

Wanderer was about to ask the youth what he was talking about, but then he felt a force pulling him from his surrounding. The pond disappeared before him, replaced by black and white.

Everything was pitch-black, save for the brilliant whiteness ahead. It was as if he was looking out to the exit of a long, dark tunnel, while his body was drifting toward the light.

Then, there was a soft sound of breathing.

A gasp… Once… Twice… Then it stopped, completely. He knew it came from a dying person who instinctively attempted to hold on to her life, even though fate would not allow it…

He knew it belonged to Mono…

* * *

Wanderer extended his hand to the girl, helping her get down from Agro's back when they reached the pond.

"Thank you," Mono said softly. She released his hand and stepped to the edge of the water. Then she knelt down, clasped her hands before her, and bowed her head as if in a prayer.

The boy silently looked at her for a moment, as the girl dipped her basket into the clear water, which did not take long. After she filled it, she placed the water carrier at her side and looked at him.

"Are you done?" Wanderer asked.

"Yes. But we don't have to go back yet. Let's stay here for a while," she answered without looking at him, her gaze fixed at the beams of sunlight that came through the leaves. Her expression was of a thoughtful one.

He stood looking her for a few moments, until Mono realized and turned to him with a weak smile, patting the grass beside her.

"Why don't you come here and sit with me? I'm sorry. I had many things on my mind."

Wanderer approached her as offered, and sat a distance apart from her. Then he saw that the girl seemed to be lost in her own thoughts again, her eyes drifting on the water surface. He followed her gaze, realizing that the pond was so clear that he could see there were only white pebbles inside. There were neither plants nor animals in it. So he could not help but remark.

"It's strange."

"Huh?"

"I just notice that there're no living things in this pond. There should be some if the water is clean."

"That's why it is considered the sacred pond. The water here is clean and clear, but nothing lives in it. Even in autumn, a fallen leaf never lands in the pond, and in winter, the water is still warm and never freezes."

"That sounds quite scary," said Wanderer. He felt strangely uneasy as he continued looking at it.

"Maybe it's because this is the purifying water, particularly given to our village by the Sun God for our ritual," the girl said slowly, her voice sounding eerily absent-minded. "So that He can subdue…"

The boy suddenly thought of something.

"Wait. Is that why I don't see villagers fetching water from here?"

Mono looked slightly startled.

"Huh?"

"I don't see villagers coming here for water. Is it because the water in this pond is reserved only for rituals?"

"…Yes, it is," she replied softly.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday? Wouldn't it be wrong if I drank the water and filled my drinking bag with it?" Wanderer said. Not that he was afraid the water could harm him, or it would lose its holiness; he was more worried that Mono would be scolded if anyone at the shrine knew.

"Should I drive a thirsty traveler away only because the water is sacred?" the girl simply asked. "The pond wasn't tainted anyway, and no one knew that you drank from it except us. So please forget it."

Wanderer said nothing more. He only looked at Mono, who did not seem to collect herself for some moments, and was waiting for her to start.

Finally, the girl shook her head. She gave him another faint smile and stood up.

"I was wrong. Let's go. If we stay here, I'll probably be lost in my thoughts that I don't know where to start talking to you."

She stepped toward Agro, but the next moment he saw her fall down screaming. Wanderer quickly came to her. He was frightened when he saw a black snake against her white leg, its jaws still locked in her flesh, just below the rim of her dress. It had probably hidden itself in some tall grass, so Mono hadn't seen it and unknowingly approached or stepped on it.

The boy cut its head from the body with his dagger. Then he pried away the snake's head and pounded it with the handle of his dagger until it was surely dead.

Next he examined Mono's leg, relieved as he saw marks of small teeth, not only two fang marks as he had feared.

"You'll be all right. It's not a poisonous snake."

Still, her leg was soaked with crimson blood. He could not tell if it were exactly the blood of the snake he had killed, or from Mono's wound.

"Does it hurt?" Wanderer asked. The girl shook her head, but she bit her lips as if to suppress a cry.

_I need to wash the wound_, the youth thought. Grabbing the basket, he poured some water on her wound faster than she could object.

But the girl suddenly winced and shrieked, struggling like a desperate trapped creature in pain. One of her hands fumbled blindly to his back, clinging so tightly at his shirt that he was surprised. In between the gasps that shook her small frame, she cried "don't…don't…"

"I'm sorry. Does it hurt?"

"_Don't…use…that…water!_" Mono got each word out with difficulty. Her dark eyes staring at him looked as though they were two bottomless pits. What she said was not a plea, but an absolute command.

Wanderer remained still as if mesmerized by her eyes, which did not seem like those of Mono's.

_But how could that be?_

Suddenly, the girl's eyes widened in shock. Then she released him and lied in the fetal position while she struggled against the pain in her body. It took a moment for her to gaze at him and said softly.

"Please…take me back to the shrine…Lord Emon knows what should be done…"

"Certainly." The boy gave up on washing her wound. He took off his bandanna and wound it around her leg. Her blood was still seeping out, dying the fabric dark. He slung the water basket over his shoulder, then carried the girl in his arms and called Agro.

Mono was sweating, and was so weak that she could not even sit by herself on horseback. He had to ordered his steed to stand still, and put her down on the saddle. Then he got up behind her and gently laid her head on his shoulder.

As he glimpsed at the blood on the grass, Wanderer felt that he saw a drop of strange black liquid among the crimson ones. But he thought it was only a trick of the light…

A while later, Wanderer found himself waiting anxiously in the hall of the shrine, with Yaheem stood silently in a corner far from him. Lord Emon was examining Mono in her room, which was one of the rooms in the basement corridor on the way to the library.

A small commotion almost occurred as soon as he and Mono entered the village. The villagers' eyes widened as they saw Mono's limp, unconscious form on the horse with him. A few shrine guardians, informed by the villagers, hurriedly came to block his way even before he reached the shrine.

At first they thought he had hurt 'Lady Mono', but after he explained the situation, they opened the way so he could get to the shrine as fast as possible.

Then he had to explain it again, this time to Lord Emon and the masked guardian Yaheem, who stood like a statue beside the priest.

When Emon learned a snake bit Mono at the pond, his face turned pale even though the boy affirmed that it was not a venomous snake.

He went even paler when Wanderer told him he had washed her wound with the water from the pond. He said that he would have to examine her condition, and hurried into the back of the shrine, after a maidservant who had brought Mono to her room. The youth was left with only Yaheem and the tense atmosphere.

The hall was so silent that he could hear the other man's breathing. To pass the time, the boy let his gaze wander to the details of the structures and the idols he had not seen clearly the previous day. Then he noticed that Yaheem was clenching his fists, and he could not help but think that the other was reproaching him for what had happened to Mono.

But the shrine guardian said nothing. Not even a single word was exchanged between the two until Lord Emon returned.

"She'll be all right," he told them. "What she needs is some rest."

Wanderer nodded, relieved. Then he said, "I apologize, Milord, that I let such a thing happen."

"It wasn't your fault," Emon replied with a faint smile. "In fact, we have to thank you. If you hadn't been with her at that time, there wouldn't have been anyone to help bring her back to us."

Yet the old man's expression grew grimmer before he continued.

"But from now on, we will have to be more careful. Even at the Sacred Pond, a beast can still lurk about." He turned to the shrine guardian. "Yaheem, resume you duty of escorting Mono to the pond. I'll talk to her about this myself. Even though she can be so stubborn, she's not unreasonable."

"Yes, Milord."

Then the priest turned to the Arslan youth. "I have something to say to you as well."

"Yes, Milord?"

"Mono told me that she went to you because she wanted to ask about your tribe. I have nothing against that. You seem a trustworthy young man, and I think it'll be good for Mono to have someone to talk to, instead of being cooped up in the shrine all the time," he began to speak like a worried father, and Wanderer could guess what the old man wanted to tell him.

"But it's…inappropriate for both of you to be alone with each other. I think you understand what I mean."

"Yes, I do."

"It's not that I don't trust you. But the villagers will regard your conduct as suspicious, and the shrine lax of discipline," Emon explained. "So I think that she and you should see each other within the walls of the shrine. I have spoken to Mono and she has agreed to this."

"I understand," Wanderer simply answered. "I'm ready to do as you see fit."

"I'm glad to hear that. Thank you so much," the old priest patted him on the shoulder. "Everyday after she brings back the water, Mono will be free in the afternoon until the evening mass, and she will see you at that time. But I'm afraid you'll have to let her rest today."

"I understand, Milord," Wanderer bowed to him. "Please excuse my leaving, and give her my regards."

He left the shrine and rode Agro back to Yorei's cabin, hoping that the next day Mono would get better enough to see him and talk to him.

* * *

A light…

So bright that he could not see anything…

…except for…

Someone that stood over him. He tried to make the person out, but what he could see was only a black profile. When he blinked, it was gone.

Wanderer got up, patching fragments of memories together as to what had happened to him. Gradually, he saw that he was in the deserted shrine. But how could he get back there? He remembered that he managed to kill the colossus, but then the black tendrils from its corpse pierced into him and he lost his consciousness. For a moment he had thought that he was going to die.

Anyway, he was still alive, and he still had to accomplish his task. There was no time for him to speculate in this strange land.

His eyes met the girl's body on the altar. The boy slowly approached her, until he realized that he was holding the sword tightly and sheathed it. He also noticed that his bow and quiver of arrows were lying against the base of the altar. Perhaps the entity Dormin had helped bring him and his belongings back.

However, the figure on the altar remained still, unchanged.

He swiftly turned back as he heard a rumble from behind. One of the two sculptures nearest to him was shaking. Blue light glowed from the carvings, and then flared up suddenly.

The idol exploded, sending pieces of rock and dust all around the alcove it was situated in.

The idol fell as the first colossus was slain.

Now there were fifteen left.

_**Thy next foe is... In the seaside cave... It moves slowly... Raise thy courage to defeat it. **_The voice of Dormin reverberated through the shrine.

Wanderer listened until the voice faded away. Then he picked up his bow and arrows, and was about to leave the shrine when he remembered another thing was missing.

_Agro…_

He had told his horse to wait at the cliff. How would it be now? He guessed he had to walk back there and find him.

But then he heard a whinny behind him and turned.

"Agro!"

The black steed came back to him, and he patted it on the shoulder. If Agro had not found the way back all by himself, perhaps Dormin brought him back with the same way he found himself and his bow in the shrine.

But their task was far from over, he thought as he glanced at the rows of idols in the dark of the shrine.

_The second colossus is next._

Telling that to himself, he got on Agro's back and left the shrine. The light reflected from the sword in his hand pointed to the north.


	5. Chapter 4: Determination

**Chapter 4 – Determination**

One of the shrine guardians that was not Yaheem brought him his dinner. The next morning it was still the same man, in the midday another, but Mono did not come.

He inquired the latter after her condition, relieved when he heard that she had got much better.

The boy stayed in the cabin until afternoon, sweeping dust and cobwebs to make a comfortable living place for him. He found where some tools and equipments were stored, although they were quite old and somewhat rusted. He also found something he wanted Mono to see.

In a wooden box the former owner of the cabin probably made, Wanderer found small wooden dolls. Most of them were animals that girls would consider adorable – birds, deer, and rabbits – and a doll made after someone he knew.

It resembled a little girl with long hair and a plain dress, like the one Mono wore everyday. He couldn't help but wonder what she would say if she saw it.

A few knocks on the door called him, followed by the voice of the person he was thinking of.

"Wanderer, it's me."

The youth put the doll back in the box and went to open the door.

The girl was still in white dress and with the rattan basket over her shoulder. She gave him a bright smile despite a thick bandage on one of her legs.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She quickly nodded. "I'm fine. I'm sorry to frighten you yesterday."

"Don't mind it. I was being careless. I didn't see the snake at all."

Mono shook her head.

"Well, please forget about it anyway. It ended _well_." She changed the subject. "I'm going to fetch some water. Would you like to come along? We can return to the shrine together and talk after that."

"Will it be all right?" Wanderer gazed at Yaheem, who was standing crossing his arms some distances behind her. Mono seemed to understand.

"I don't think there'll be a problem. Lord Emon has ordered him to escort me all the way," she lowered her voice. "When we talk in the shrine, he'll be with us too, but not so close that he hear what we talk about."

The boy was speechless. The priest Emon had shown his trust in him when they talked yesterday, but to order Yaheem to accompany Mono was supposedly another way of protection – so clever that it could be read that he was not to be completely trusted.

"I got it." Even so he nodded. It couldn't be strange for Emon to do this; he came from another land and believed in another religion, anyway. He did not have any inappropriate thoughts with the girl, and was ready to prove that he just wanted to 'satisfy her curiosity' – as she put it.

And so they began the silent, uneventful trip, with Mono straggling in the lead, followed by Yaheem and Wanderer.

After she prayed and fetched the water, Wanderer saw that the girl became absent-minded like the previous day. Yaheem seemed to have gotten used to it and just stood guard for her. So he said nothing.

After a while, Mono stood up, and they started back to the shrine.

Yaheem told the Arslan youth to wait before the main hall, while he went inside with the girl. Other shrine guardians, taking their break, approached him and kept him company. They asked him about his journey, how he liked the village, and one even suggested that he should find some time to practice archery and fighting with them.

The quite lively conversation ended abruptly when Yaheem came out with Mono. Mono said apologetically that she had to take Wanderer from them, but the other guardians smiled and bowed to her before leaving. They were polite to her, but obviously more amicable than Yaheem. The boy guessed that Yaheem's solemnity was probably his own attitude, rather than the custom of shrine guardians.

Mono led him to the side to the main building, where there was a beautiful garden with blossoming trees and flowers, and rows of tombstones at the further back.

She seated herself on a stone bench. Looking around, Wanderer saw that another bench was quite a distance away, so he decided to keep standing instead.

"You can sit here," Mono said, moving to the side.

"I shouldn't," Wanderer replied. "I don't think it's appropriate to sit beside you."

The girl let out a sigh and lowered her face.

"So Lord Emon talked to you, too?"

"You could say that."

"I understand his concern, but it's too much," Mono nodded toward Yaheem, who stood quite far away. "He's troubling Yaheem with all this unnecessary escort thing."

"Well, isn't it his duty to serve the shrine," Wanderer reasoned. "And ensure your safety?"

"Now that you mention it, it is, but…" Mono said, displeased. "…I don't want him to stay near me this much. I think I make him feel very uncomfortable."

The boy found it hard to perceive how that could be. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around, that Yaheem's silence made the joyful girl uncomfortable?

"Why?"

"Well, you've seen how I was at the pond. Didn't you feel worried?"

"A little, I have to admit," He thought of how she didn't seem to be herself, gazing blankly at whatever was before her eyes without seeming to acknowledge its presence.

"That's how I often am, at that place. I don't want others to see it and get worried about me. So I told Yaheem that he didn't need to come with me; I could go back here by myself," she explained. "Yesterday, I thought that if it weren't Yaheem – but you – I'd be fine. But still…"

"But I think Yaheem looked normal today."

The girl sighed again.

"He knows how to hide his feelings and never shows them. But I know he has a lot of worries on his mind. If only he learned how to share them with others, that would be better for him."

"You seem to care so much about him."

"Why wouldn't I?" Mono swung her legs like a child. "We grew up together…No, it'd be more exact to say that I've seen him here ever since I was a child. He's just five or six years older than me, but it looks as if he never wants to get to know me."

"Maybe you worry too much." Wanderer tried to comfort her. "As far as I see, Yaheem doesn't look like he wants to get to know anyone else either."

"I guess that's also because of me," the girl said more worriedly. "I cause him to carry more responsibility than the others."

"How?"

Mono was silent for a moment. Then she spoke slowly.

"Actually, Yaheem was supposed to escort Lord Emon. But because _I_ am here in the shrine too, he has to escort me instead. He's the only one Lord Emon trusts with protecting me. But because I'm…a woman, he doesn't know how to act to me. I even thought how better it would be if I were a man. Perhaps he'd be more comfortable around me that way."

"Well, you're woman anyway. That can't be changed."

The girl nodded.

"I know. I can't do anything about Yaheem, and you too…"

The boy began to wonder what she wanted to say.

"Don't you feel uncomfortable knowing that you're being watched?"

"Not that much," replied Wanderer. "I told Lord Emon I was ready to do as he saw fit."

Mono shook her head tiredly and remarked.

"I just don't understand. Why do people always think that 'inappropriate' things can happen when a man and a woman are together by themselves?"

"Maybe because, chances are, they do happen," answered the youth.

"So is there any chance between you and me?" Mono met his gaze, asking so honestly that he was taken aback.

"Of course not." Wanderer looked away to hide the heightened color on his cheeks, surprised at how the girl could ask such a question. However, he tried to think that she was unaware of how far that 'impropriety' could get in the worst case. "I never have any of…such thoughts with you, honestly."

The girl gave him a faint smile.

"And I trust you."

For a moment she looked down silently. Then she continued.

"I never think of falling in love with a man," she said stressfully, not looking at him. "It's better for me if I don't."

"But why?" Wanderer asked, surprised.

"Because someday I have to become…a priestess. And from that day onward I must remain in the shrine for the rest of my life," she said plainly.

The boy was shocked. He knew she grew up in the shrine, but from her joyful outlook, he could never think of her as a sober priestess like the priest Emon.

"I'd never think that…"

The girl laughed softly.

"You can't picture me as a priestess, can you?"

He shook his head.

"Well, I'm still not one anyway. That's why Lord Emon allows me some freedom to do what I want, given that it's not against the codes of the shrine," she continued. "Because, when the day comes for me to become a priestess, I won't be able to have such fun anymore."

"So you want to make the most of this time?" Wanderer said thoughtfully.

"That's right."

"But do you really want to become a priestess? Please don't think that I'm being nosy or trying to interfere with your life, but you don't seem the type to fit in with a strict monastic life."

"I'll just have to bear with it. It's my fate," Mono said, her voice void of any happiness or sadness. "And if I become a priestess, then I'll be able to help a lot of people. I want to be of help to others."

The youth went silent, unable to think of what else to say until she spoke again.

"Well, let's talk about your tribe. I must have bored you with all of my senseless complaints."

Wanderer smiled, trying to keep the light mood. Then he told her about his tribe: where they lived, how they roamed the Great Plains while raising livestock and hunting.

Mono was an enthusiastic listener. She gave comments from time to time and asked quite a lot of questions that he was more than glad to answer. When he noticed the sky again, the sun was about to set. Yaheem approached them and said that it was time for Mono to join in the evening mass.

So Wanderer parted with her for the day, and they saw each other again the next day to continue the conversation.

And it became almost a daily routine for him for three months, before the flooding season came to pass.

* * *

Wanderer, on Agro's back, followed the light of the sword back northeastward where he saw the long bridge again. It was now almost directly over his head, stretching over the waterfalls and sea.

The beam pointed to the other side of the abyss, gradually lowering itself to the sea level. Reaching the edge of the chasm, he saw a pair of decaying stone columns that were supposedly parts of an arch; between the columns a bridge extended to the other side.

The bridge was neither as big nor long as the one high above, but it was equally fascinating, as it looked surprisingly like a natural rock path more than a manmade one. On it was even dirt and growing grass.

How strange this land was. There were not only massive structures like the long bridge and towering deserted shrine, but also convenient natural paths such as this one!

At first he did not trust how lasting the earth bridge would be, but seeing no other way around gave him no choice. Fortunately, the bridge was more than sturdy and could bear the weight of both the rider and his steed.

Approaching the other side of the sea, he saw a stone slab on the cliff face, just a distance away from the sandy beach. It was shaped like a doorway, as if to cover something.

_Is that the seaside cave Dormin mentioned?_

The sword proved this to him, with a light that shone directly to the stone slab.

He went down to the beach, and was greeted with a rumble.

The stone slab shook violently and crumbled, revealing the gigantic body of the second colossus.

Agro reared up in fear. Wanderer clutched tightly at the reins, staring at the beast.

It looked like a bull, covered with brown fur. Its face was composed of a stone mask like the previous giant he encountered, but with a protruding mouth and two horns on its head. One of the horns had broken off.

The young hunter maneuvered his horse to circle around the beast from a distance away. Like what Dormin said, it could only turn to face him slowly – even more slowly than the first one. Perhaps it was due to the fine grains of sand that caused it to sink slowly at every step, so the overgrown bull to lift one of its hooves and shake the sand out from time to time.

He unsheathed the sword and raised it, discovering two vital points on its head and its behind, just before its short, stone point of a tail.

He had to get on it first to reach either point anyway.

The beast had fur all over its body, but the fur on its legs ended at the knees, higher to jump to unless something could be done to trip it. The best choice he could think of was to shoot at its leg, if a glowing vein was there, and hope that the arrow could hurt it like the ancient sword.

But as he examined it, he could not find anything that looked like some glowing blue lines. It was then Dormin's voice rang in his mind.

_**The place that emits light is its vitals...**_

Even as the entity spoke, the colossus reared up on its hind legs and trampled the ground with its front ones.

Agro neighed frantically as it fell down. Wanderer tumbled to the ground, covered in sand. He had to roll away from the beast as fast as he could to avoid its next stomp.

_What am I doing?_

The question came to his mind, involuntarily and against his will. What was the point of asking?

_Is this what she would want?_

That he risked his life – or even died – for her? That he could not bear to live in the world without her?

He shook his head, straggling to his feet.

_Thinking won't bring me anywhere!_

Thanks to its recent attack, he had glimpsed a flicker of light underneath its front hooves. The Arslan youth ran a distance away from it, took out his bow and waited.

When it was about to trample him again, he quickly let go of the bowstring. The arrow met its mark.

The beast howled in pain, falling to its knees.

Running to his oversized prey, Wanderer dropped the bow and took off the quiver of arrows. He grabbed hold of the fur on its injured leg and began to make his way up to its shoulder.

The climb was not so hard, due to its long fur and sluggishness. Yet he later found it a tiring task; he had to scale along its side all the way to its behind, as its shoulder was – surprisingly – without any hair.

He reached the vital spot just above its tail and struck.

The colossus growled and squirmed, blood gushing from its wound. The boy rushed to its head, across its hairless back and stony ribs that obstructed his way.

Its flat head was broader than that of his first kill. A large mystical pattern spread out across it. Wanderer thought it would be easier to hold onto, but he was not quite right. Despite the increased space, it could shake its head more violently.

But he had only one choice: clinging to it until it gave up struggling. Then it was time for him to counterattack.

As soon as he buried the blade in its skull, it jerked and shook its head furiously, no different from a desperate wounded bull. Wanderer stabbed it again and again, while holding his breath from the burnt-corpse-like smell of the black blood.

Finally, the sigil flared up and faded slowly.

The enormous creature dropped dead like some slaughtered cattle. Wanderer still held onto it for a moment. Then he slowly climbed down to the beach.

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw the black mist expand and cover the colossus' lifeless body, and black tendrils that swam through the air. The youth ran without any further thought, hoping that he would be safe if he could get away from them in time.

However, the next moment they pierced into him and brought him the same indescribable pain.

…And he fell to the ground, unconscious again…

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** You may have noticed from the first and this colossus fight that I changed some attributes of the sword's light: it shows major vital points but not minor ones. I consider minor ones to be where a clear sigil is not shown, but are presented glowing blue or yellow. I think the change give Wanderer in my story more difficult times with the colossi and enable us to get more into how he thinks of the solution for each one.

Another change I made from the Thai version is that I've cut out some unnecessary details of the sceneries and actions, trying to make it shorter and more concise. However, the past events are not much affected. Apart from the absence of some trivial details here and there, the conversations and major actions remain the same for both versions.

Forty-eight chapters and two epilogues left…I have a long way to go, but I will try my best.


	6. Chapter 5: Grief that cannotbe Swallowed

**Chapter 5**** – A Grief That Cannot Be Swallowed**

Wanderer saw a large hall with stone walls and a figure in white. It belonged to a plump brown-hair boy, who stood alone before a long dinner table. On it was a large earthen bowl containing some kind of hot stew, as a smoke wafted from within.

The youth stared at the bowl for a long time, as if hesitating somehow. Swallowing, he seemed to have decided, his hand slowly reaching for the wooden spoon in the bowl. He scooped a piece of meat in the bowl and put it close to his lips.

Just then, the door suddenly opened. Startled, the boy dropped the spoon. A furious yell from the door summoned Wanderer's gaze from the boy in white, and he discovered its source to be a masked shrine guardian.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

The youth took the bowl in his hands, but he was too slow for the guardian, who lunged at him. The bowl crashed on the floor, shattering into pieces. The broth it once contained dyed the boy's white clothes blood red. He cried in pain as the hot stew scalded his skin, yet he stilled tried to reach for a piece of meat on the floor. However, the older man caught him in a firm, almost merciless grip.

"Let me go! Let me-"

"Such a foolish thing to do! It's not going to help you at all!" cried the shrine guardian, gritting his teeth.

"But if I'm tainted with sin, then you can't do what you intend to, can you? If so, then I'll be –"

The sentence was never finished, for the older man's hand struck hard across his cheek, so hard that the youth's face was turned sideway.

"You're wrong!" the masked shrine guardian said sharply, silencing the younger man at once. The boy stared fixedly at him. Drops of tears that trickled down his cheeks, one of which was swollen, were the only movement on it.

The guardian released him, speaking more gently.

"Please forgive my rudeness… But whatever you try to do, the fate cannot be changed or avoided. You just have to accept it."

And then the shrine guardian supported the crying youth out of the hall, leaving Wanderer with the surroundings that soon faded into darkness.

Dark tunnel and white light again…

…A sob…

…Expressing unbearable agony, grief, and despair toward an unchangeable fate…

…Mono's sobs…

* * *

The third evening of his stay in the village and the first day he got a chance to talk to Mono to her heart's content, Lord Emon suggested that he should have dinner with the shrine guardians instead of eating alone in the cabin, and the youth did not refuse.

Following Yaheem, he found himself in some kind of a barrack – a long stone building with two storeys. The ground floor had a hall with a long dinner table to accommodate the ten occupants, and a fireplace. Apart from Yaheem, he had known another four guardians – Bycal, Soreyu, Havalim, and Perah – who kept him company this afternoon when Mono went into the shrine to offer the sacred water. He soon learned the name of the rest, who introduced themselves to him amicably before dinner.

Each guardian clasped his hands in front of him and prayed before the meal while the boy waited. Then all the guardians took off their masks and they began to eat quietly.

Wanderer stole some glances at Yaheem's face. He was still young, in his early twenties at most. Short locks of brown hair covered his forehead and the rest was tied in a long ponytail behind his back. The four guardians he had known before were about the youth's age or somewhat older, while the other five seemed even older than Yaheem, ranging from late twenties to early thirties.

The youth could not help but wonder why someone quite young like Yaheem was assigned such an important duty of guarding Lord Emon, and why the priest trusted him with guarding Mono. But he did not think this would be a good time to ask.

"Oh, Wanderer," Bycal called him. "Your horse, that black one with white forehead is so beautiful. I haven't seen such an elegant horse before."

"Thanks for your compliment," replied the Arslan youth.

"Did you catch him as a wild horse or breed him?"

"He's of pure wild blood, but my father caught the mare carrying him. He was born and raised in the tribe, so he's more docile than ordinary wild horses."

"That's great. I'd die to have a nice horse like him. Now I know it's true that your people are good with horses," Bycal remarked.

"And I've heard that Arslan people are skilled at horseback archery. I hope you can show us someday," Havalim carried on enthusiastically.

"If there's a chance to, I'll be more than glad."

"Speaking of archery," Soreyu spoke up. "The day after tomorrow is our day off. We're going to see the hunters in the village go on a deer hunt. Care to join us, Wanderer?"

"Let me ask Mono first," replied the boy, realizing that he had not hunted by himself for three days. He should find some time to practice, or else this could become a problem when he was on his own again.

Soreyu was about to speak, but then Yaheem murmured.

"Stop talking about sins."

His words sent heavy silence throughout the hall, at least a few moments before Havalim tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"I don't think you have to be this strict, Yaheem. We're just going to watch. It's not that we're joining the hunt."

"Speaking of killing on the sacred grounds is already a sin," Yaheem said grimly. "You can invite him to sin somewhere else, but not here."

Wanderer looked down at the bowl of stew before him. Then he spoke when Yaheem was about to put a spoon of the food in his mouth.

"But isn't what you're eating MEAT?"

Yaheem halted. Putting down the spoon, he looked the boy in the eyes with a stern gaze.

"Yes. But it's dead. What you're speaking of are LIVING ones. They're not supposed to be talked of with joy of watching them being slaughtered."

"But aren't the hunters who slaughtered them the ones who provide what everyone in the shrine eats?"

Wanderer's words caused the other shrine guardians to turn grim. They looked at him as though he had said what should never be said.

Yaheem's stare pierced at him. If his gaze were a knife, the youth had probably died a bloody death.

"The wanderer from Arslan," the shrine guardian stressed each word slowly. "As you're a stranger here, allow me to enlighten you now on two things about our custom."

He stood up, his eyes never leaving Wanderer.

"First, the guardians of this shrine can only kill heathens or sinners, as it is our duty to protect the glory of the Sun God. We cannot take the lives of the innocents or other creatures."

The boy was going to argue how funny it was, as they did not kill by themselves but consumed the creatures someone else had killed for them. However, Yaheem went on without any pause.

"And second, only the guardians and servants in the shrine can consume meat, as it is a necessary source of strength. Lord Emon and Lady Mono do NOT eat it and you shall not speak of killing in their presences. Keep it in mind!"

Then Yaheem pushed his chair close to the table and went upstairs without any words, leaving the other guardians and Wanderer in shock.

A few moments later, one of the guardians who seemed older than Yaheem sighed and shook his head.

"Just don't mind him. He's in a bad mood, that's all."

"But you'd best be careful not to say anything against the rules when he's around," said the oldest guardian. "And Wanderer…"

He turned to the newcomer.

"Please take my advice: you shouldn't argue with Yaheem unless you want to be in trouble. I'm not saying that it was your fault, but Yaheem's not someone to mind seriously. He's never liked Arslan people to begin with."

The boy raised his brow in puzzlement.

"But why does he dislike people from my tribe?"

The older man paused for a moment, then decided to speak.

"Well, years ago Yaheem got into trouble with an Arslan man who came to stay here. But don't ask me more. The matter's all finished and had better not be dug up anymore."

Surprised, Wanderer kept silent for a long time until the same guardian continued.

"I was just telling you so that you'll be careful. Now let's eat."

"…I know," replied the boy, resuming his eating, chewing and swallowing mechanically.

"Oh, and please don't tell anyone outside the shrine, or let Yaheem suspect that I told you. This should be a secret only among those in here," the older man stressed.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind," Wanderer replied softly, scooping up a spoonful of stew. However, due to his doubtfulness, he did not even notice how it tasted anymore.

* * *

"Yaheem once got into trouble with an Arslan man?" Mono repeated softly when they were near the cemetery. The boy kept standing while the girl was sitting on the same bench.

"At least that's what I heard," Wanderer whispered, glancing at Yaheem to make sure that the third person did not hear it. "I heard that only the people in this shrine know about it. Do you know what it's about?"

The girl remained silent for a while. Then she shook her head.

"I never heard about it. It must have happened when I was very young." Her voice expressed half-frustration and half-weariness. "Yaheem never told me anything about himself."

After pondering for a moment, Wanderer asked.

"Yesterday, didn't you say he was five or six years older than you?"

"Yes, I did."

"That means he must have lived here since he was very young."

"I guess so. He's been here as long as I can remember."

"Is he an orphan like you?"

"You could say that."

In his thought, he was silent for another moment.

"Then it's strange…I can't see how he got into trouble with someone from the Arslan tribe when he was that young."

If someone from his tribe had indeed been to this village, he assumed that it was probably a youth about his age – seventeen to eighteen years old. He couldn't imagine how a much older person could have get into trouble with a boy less than ten years old – a trouble that caused the boy to hold a grudge toward anyone from the same tribe so strongly.

"Please don't worry about it," Mono pulled him back from his thoughts. "Everyone knows Yaheem's just like this. And even if he dislikes Arslan people, you're not the one who got into trouble with him at that time."

"You're right." Wanderer forced a smile. "It's nothing, though. I'm just wondering how one of my people can have anything against him."

"It's all in the past; it'd be best to just let go," remarked the girl. "Oh, yesterday I forgot to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Your bandanna."

He just realized about his own bandanna, which he had wrapped around her snakebite wound.

"I know I should return it to you, but…" she lowered her face. "I couldn't wash the blood off it."

"It's all right," replied the boy. "You can just return it like that. I only put it on so I don't get hair in my eyes. A little stain will do."

"But I don't think so," Mono quickly refused. "There are a lot of bloodstains…It doesn't look very good. But don't worry; I'll make you a new one."

"You don't need to trouble yourself."

"It's not a trouble at all." The girl firmly assured. "I'm always free after dinner, and I have to stay in my room. So I always read a book or make some kind of handiwork. It's just that…"

Mono lowered her face, seeming hesitant to speak. He raised his brows.

"Just that what?"

"…I'm not good with needlework, so I'm afraid it's not going to look so nice," she confessed meekly. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry about it," he simply replied. "You are so kind to offer to make a new one for me, and I appreciate that."

She stole a shy glance at him before keeping her gaze down again.

"I have two things to tell you first," Wanderer said. "Before we enter the Arslan lesson for today."

Mono giggled at the way he put it. Then she asked.

"What is it?"

"Well, the first one is," he paused, recalling Yaheem's warning, "I may have some business tomorrow, and I'm afraid I may not be able to see you."

"I see." She nodded. "It's all right if you have some business or want to go somewhere else. Just think of talking to me as something to do in your free time."

"I know."

"And what's next?" asked Mono.

He said nothing, simply handing a brown sack he kept at his belt to her. She looked at it, puzzled.

"What is this?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

Mono put her hand inside the bag, feeling its inside for a moment and pulling something out. As she saw that it was a wooden rabbit doll, she smiled brilliantly, her eyes glittering.

"It's the doll Grandfather Yorei made for me!"

Placing the rabbit in her lap, she enthusiastically pulled out more dolls: a horse, a deer, a bird, and finally a little girl.

"It's been so long that I totally forgot about them," she laughed. "I'd never imagined you'd find them."

"As I thought, he made them for you," replied Wanderer, unable to hide his own smile at seeing how happy she was.

"Because of this one?" Mono put the girl doll before her eyes. "Back then, I asked him to make many wooden dolls for me to choose."

"Choose?" he repeated.

"To choose which one was the most beautiful," she quickly explained. Though it did not provide him any clearer meanings, he dismissed his curiosity, watching her as she examined each doll.

When she was done, she turned to him and suddenly asked.

"Have you seen a figure of some large bird in his house?"

"Hmm…" He tried to recall his memory. "I think these are all I've seen."

"I see…" Mono's expression was thoughtful. "When I last met Grandfather, I asked him to make me a bird of paradise. I saw him start working on it, but he probable passed away before it was done. And as time passed, I forgot about it."

"I'll look one more time," Wanderer offered. "I'll surely bring it to you if I find it."

She gave him a faint smile.

"Thank you so much," she said, turning the dolls around. "I always asked him to carve me dolls of animals I liked, but the bird of paradise was my most favorite. Have you seen a real one?"

He shook his head.

"What does it look like?"

"It's a very beautiful bird with such a melodic voice, as if it really descended from the heaven," she said dreamily. "That day, I was going to visit Grandfather when I saw one singing in the trees. It has a very long tail, as golden as ears of wheat under the sunlight; its body as red as the Eree fruits, its head yellow like daffodils and its neck emerald green. I used to think how great it would be if I could become such a colorful bird."

"I can't believe such a bird even exists," remarked the boy.

"I wouldn't have thought I'd seen a real bird, if Grandfather hadn't told me that it was a bird of paradise when I told him about it. He said that many of them lived around here. But as the village became more crowded, they retreated deeper into the forests," continued Mono. "I wish you could see one of them."

"Maybe I'd get a chance to during my stay," Wanderer said, but he did not have high hopes on it.

He never thought he would actually sight it months after, as one of the sign that heralded one of the worst tragedies in his life.

* * *

**To be continued...**

**Chapter VI - _Family and Friends_**


	7. Chapter 6: Friends and Family

**Chapter 6 – Family and Friends**

Two shadows were standing over Wanderer's unconscious form on the floor of the shrine, looking down at him, when the second statue in the niche opposite to the first one's glowed and exploded into pieces as well.

The impact and the noise woke him up. He got to his feet and looked up at the skylight on the ceiling of the deserted shrine as the voice immediately rang:

**Thy next foe is... A giant canopy soars to the heavens... The anger of the sleeping giant shatters the earth...**

Wanderer listened in silence until the voice faded away. Agro ran up the stairs to him again, with the youth's bow and quiver of arrows hanging by the saddle. He patted the horse on the neck as praise, as usual.

When they left the shrine, the sword's light guided them northwest, in the same direction as where the second colossus once resided. So, Wanderer rode along the same path until they reached the abyss and a natural rock bridge to the other side of the sea.

However, the light now pointed over the beach. Wanderer saw the remains of another arch to the west of the previous remains she saw. In between the two wrecks of pillars was yet another natural bridge, closer to the direction of the gathered light.

The boy and Agro crossed the rock bridge to the other side, which was a rocky plain. It was dotted with constructions that looked like towers. Curious, he approached one of them, finding that the base of the tower housed a stone tablet with ancient runes inscribed on it, obviously an altar. Time had worn down the inscription and some of its structure. Tangles of vines covered it and various plants sprouted out of the stones' cracks.

Wanderer passed the ancient altar without paying much attention to it, heading straight to the cliffs that loomed in the distance after the light. On the way he saw hawks flying in the sky, and some kind of big black lizards crawling in the grass, hiding from their winged predators. They were at least two other kinds of living beings, apart from the colossi, that he met in this deserted land, and he had no thought of disturbing them.

But after a distance, the boy was surprised that he felt hungry.

Hunger was something he never thought of in this land, the land where the sky is equally bright without any sight of the sun, and without any passing of time – according to Dormin. But the hollowed feeling in his stomach, which was also troubling his mind, was definitely hunger. What was worse was that he did not want to risk encountering the third colossus in this state. Hunger could reduce the ability to think and take action to the point that he could fail easily.

He remembered the pond and the fruit-bearing tree he encountered on the way to the first colossus. But he was now very far from that spot; turning a round trip would take too much time. So, he rode on the way before him in hope of finding some more fruit trees. However, as he went on, he found that the end of the sword's light hit the face of a cliff. Near it was yet another altar, just before a narrow mountain pass in the shade. There was no tree in sight.

Pulling on the reins, he commanded Agro to stop and dismounted him. The boy looked around in hope of finding something to eat. His gaze met a lizard crawling on the altar's wall. It was easy to spot, as it had a white tail unlike the plain black lizards he had seen.

He stood looking at it for a moment. Then he slowly pulled out his bow.

The arrow flew straight to the middle of the lizard's body, sending it down to the ground. His dagger welcomed its quivering form.

"Forgive me…" Wanderer said before he ended its misery. "I need your flesh to survive."

As there was no fuel to build a fire, he skinned the lizard and cut meat out of its bones. He then tried a mouthful of the meat. It tasted similar to that of a pheasant, though a little stickier and with a distinctive smell.

While he was eating, Agro lowered his head, trying to graze on the short grass in the area. Wanderer told him,

"Sorry, Agro. When we find some fruits I'll share them with you. Back then I was too careless."

The black horse was still nibbling on the grass, not looking at him. Wanderer sighed. After Mono's death, Agro remained his sole friend, the one companion who always stayed by his side even before he decided to enter this forbidden land. That thought reminded him of one of the afternoon conversations he had with Mono at the shrine.

* * * * * * * * *

At that time, Wanderer was talking about how to catch wild horses and train them, and the uses the tribal people had for horses. He was careful to avoid the subject about the horse meat they sometimes consumed, and the horse skins they covered their yurts with. He did not forget what Yaheem said about not speaking of killing to Mono. However, it was the girl who asked him.

"I read in a book that you eat horse meat. Is that true?"

He had to nod in confirmation.

"It's true, but only for old horses, and it's when we can't find other games to hunt."

Mono blinked.

"So will you eat Agro someday?"

He was speechless for a moment. Then he laughed.

"Never," he said, shrugging. "I've taken care of him ever since he was born. I think of him as a friend. I'll never be able to kill and eat him."

But the girl continued to ask.

"What if, during a journey, you can't find any animal or anything else to eat?"

It was much more difficult than the first question, but after pondering for a moment, he shrugged again and answered,

"Well, then I'll have to try and find one."

"But if you really can't find anything?" Mono did not give up.

"Then I'll have to wait until Agro starves to death. Only then can I bring myself to eat him. But I'll never let him starve to death before me."

Now the girl was the one silently mulling over his words, before she spoke up, apparently confused.

"I think your words are…paradoxical. Those two sentences somehow contradict each other."

"Well, I intended it that way," Wanderer chuckled again. "That kind of thing will never happen anyway, so I never worry about it."

* * * * * * * * *

Thanks to the lizard population of the deserted land, he did not have to be so worried about finding food that he needed to consider Agro's meat his final alternative.

"I won't let you die on me," the boy mumbled as he watched his grazing friend. "You'll live to your ripe old age and die a natural death. Only then can I let you rest."

Those words, "ripe old age", reminded him of a time long ago, when he had never doubted the certainty of people around him gradually growing old and dying away. That thought gave him some fear, but not much. Even though he realized that finality, his youthfulness made him feel that such a day was so far away; now they had years to live together, years that would pass by slowly so he could prepare himself to accept loss.

But then came a day he never expected: the day he found those he loved all dead, not because of any natural causes.

Wanderer now recalled another conversation between him and Mono, in such a time when those he mentioned or even his listener were no longer living in this world.

* * * * * * * * *

Wanderer had stayed in this peaceful village for almost half a month now. On days that he did not go see Mono at the shrine, he would ride Agro in the forest or the fields, join the hunt with the village's hunters, or practice fighting with the shrine guardians. Then came a day he spoke to Mono by the cemetery as usual. But what they spoke about was not directly about the Arslan tribe.

"I feel I've told you all about my tribe. I can't think of anything more," said Wanderer.

"Then what about yourself?" Mono suggested. "Like, who you are, what your family's like."

He did not reply, and his face must have looked so serious that the girl lowered her face and said more quietly.

"If you don't feel comfortable telling me, it's all right."

"Not at all," said Wanderer. "I just think my family isn't going to be interesting for you."

"Why not?" Mono asked. "You've told me a lot about the Arslan tribe. That's why I want to know you too, as someone in the tribe."

"Hmm…"

"Please," she said.

"All right," he answered before collecting his words. "I'm a nameless wanderer, as I've told you. I have a father, an older brother, and a sister-in-law. When I was young I lived with my grandparents and my brother. Now my grandparents are all deceased. My mother died when she gave birth to me, so I never know her all my life."

"My mother died when she gave birth to me too," Mono remarked softly. "I really want to know about her."

As he saw how sorrowful the girl became, he quickly continued.

"My father likes to travel. He's hardly at the camp. I remembered seeing him for the first time when I was already four."

"That long?" The girl exclaimed. "Why did your father take so long a journey?"

His eyes drifted far away as he thought of the past.

"I heard others said that he was devastated when my mother died. That was why he couldn't bear to stay in the camp any longer. But I've always thought that it was because he didn't want to see me."

"But why do you think of such a thing!" Mono could hardly suppress the surprise, and perhaps disapproval, in her voice. "I…I think that…no matter what happens…a father is supposed to love his child, isn't he?"

"Well, I didn't mean that he didn't love me," the boy simply said. "It was just that he never talked to me so much. Perhaps he couldn't help but blame me for causing mother's death. He'd stayed with us for two years. Then he left again. Another two years after that he returned. Then he made short trips into and around the plains. As I grew up, we began to talk more to each other. Still, I wasn't that close to him. But he taught me like a caring father sometimes."

The girl was silent, seemingly deep in thought. Then she asked,

"How old are you now?"

"Seventeen," replied Wanderer. "I'll be eighteen in another seven moons."

"So you're a year older than me," Mono remarked. "When your father left the camp the second time, you were six, and then he came back when you were eight, right?"

He thought for a moment.

"I guess so."

"So, what's your father's name?" she asked. Then she quickly stated her reason, "I want to know how names of the Arslan people sound."

"It's Chinua."

"Chinua…" Mono repeated the name slowly, and she asked again, "What about your brother? What's his name? How's he like?"

"My brother's called Tolui. He's a very skilled hunter," the boy said admiringly. "When I was young, my grandparents took care of me, but they were very old. So Tolui taught me many things. He taught me how to put up the yurt, all about butchering and hunting and riding. Sometimes I think he's more like a father to me."

"That's great," the girl remarked. "I really want to know how it feels like to have an older brother."

Wanderer chuckled and said lightheartedly.

"If you don't mind, you can think of me as one. After all, I'm a year older than you."

Mono laughed. Her laugh was genuine, soft and gentle.

"Then that'll be great. I've always wanted a brother who will take care of me." She looked into his eyes before saying in a serious tone. "So, I can really think of you as my brother, right?"

Wanderer was speechless for a moment. He never thought she would take this so seriously.

"Huh?"

"Can't I?" Mono blinked. She already looked like a little sister who wished that her younger brother would dote on her – if he considered her his little sister indeed.

"Well…that's up to you," he answered evasively.

"Well, that's up to our mutual agreement isn't it?" The girl giggled. "It's no good if I want you to be my brother, but you don't want me to be your sister."

"Hmm…"

"So that's settled, right, brother?" she said, laughing a little.

"Hey wait. I haven't agreed on it." He feigned protest as she concluded by herself.

"You just said it was up to me, didn't you? So, please think of me as your sister," Mono said, looking at him so pleadingly that it would be impossible to resist. "Please, Wanderer. I never had a brother. I'd be very – no, I'd be happiest – if I can call you my brother."

"I guess it's all right, Mono," Wanderer said, though a little hesitantly. "I'll let you become my sister."

"I'm so happy!" she gave him a bright smile. "Thank you so much, brother!"

He could only smile back at the girl, who beamed at him with her brilliant eyes. She was apparently so overjoyed that she could have stood up and embraced him as a brother had Yaheem not been keeping an eye on them.

"By the way, do you and Tolui fight often?" Mono asked.

"Sometimes, but not that much. Maybe because he's much more grown-up than me."

"I wonder if we'll fight…"

"I hope not."

"Well, siblings do fight at least once in their lives, don't they?"

"But I can't think of anything we'll fight over."

Mono giggled again. Then she asked,

"And how's your sister-in-law like?"

"Her name's Erdene," he said. "She's beautiful and kind, two years younger than Tolui. He told me he fell in love with her because she was so like our mother. They got married six or seven months before I left. She's pregnant now. I'll probably get to see their baby when I return."

"I wish I could see your family," Mono said, rather regretfully. It was as if she knew it would never be possible. "They sound very loving and happy."

Wanderer smiled wryly.

"Actually, it should be my brother's family. After he got married, I put up another yurt so I wouldn't disturb them."

"And what about your father?"

"He's been living alone in his own yurt for years, even when he's at the camp."

Mono did not say anything for a moment. Then she asked hesitantly,

"And do you have…a lover?" she quickly added when he did not reply. "I hope you don't think I'm being nosy. I mean, a sister can ask her brother about that matter, right?"

"I don't mind." He gave her a comforting smile. "It's just that…I never thought about it."

"Why?"

"Maybe I think I'm still too young," replied the boy. "I enjoy going around riding and hunting. But after the naming ritual I may think of settling down. It depends on whether I find someone that's right for me."

"I know that, someday, you definitely will," Mono said with certainty. "Because you're such a kind and gentle person."

Wanderer did not answer. How strange… He felt a little troubled and he did not like what she just said.

Only in recollection did he begin to understand his feeling back then.

**To be continued...**

**Chapter VI**** – **_**A Sign that Came with the Rain**_

* * * * * * * * *

**A/N:** Dear all readers, I'm sorry for taking over a year to finish the translation of this chapter. Right now I cannot say for sure how fast or slow it will take to finish the rest, but the recent comments I've received keeps me going on. So, let me say thank you to you all, though I may not be able to answer your comments personally. I'll make sure to answer any question you have. I hope this chapter is a Christmas and New Year present you enjoy, though it's quite overdue. ^^;

Basically, I consider this chapter a light break in between the tense times. I think it would be great if Wanderer could speak about his family himself.

Many fanfics I've read wrote of him as an orphan and some a servant to the priestess Mono, knowing her since their childhood. I think losing the only one close to him in the world is reason enough for his determination in resurrecting her. Yet, I want to try something different. I think of Wanderer as an outsider, as you must have already known. This enables him to "see things in a different point of view"…and also enables me to create his own back story. I must admit I like a lonely and angsty Wanderer. I sometimes think of different versions with angstier Wanderer from the beginning, but I don't think I'll be able to write one. In my version I think it'd be interesting if he had an easy-going personality and a family – before he lost them and Mono.

The names of the Arslan people, as I've mentioned in a note in an earlier chapter, are Mongolian names. Chinua means "wolf". Tolui means "mirror" and is the name of one of Genghis Khan's sons. Erdene means "jewel".

One thing I'd like to mention is how many readers comment that my story is true to the game. I truly appreciate that. I think it is one the best compliments fanfiction writers can ever receive. However, I think I should have say in advance that the story somehow took on a life of its own during the course of one year I wrote it. And some turns of events may or may not be what many imagined of the game. I know what I imagine cannot be exactly what Ueda-san or the team had in mind. Neither can it be exactly what Miyabe-sensei would think about SotC if she played the game. So, please consider it a version of the many possibilities that can develop from the same generic setup of SotC, like the many versions out there.

I've put up quite a long author's note here and I guess I should stop. ^^;

Happy New Year 2009! I hope it's a good year for everyone.


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